The golf world just got rocked by news that LIV Golf is laying off the majority of its workforce, a huge move happening in the first week of September. This isn’t just a small trim, it’s the official end of LIV Golf as we’ve known it for the past five years: loud, brash, and bankrolled by billions from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the PIF.
The PIF Pulled The Plug On LIV 1.0
We’ve been hearing whispers, but now it’s official. The PIF announced back in April that it would stop funding LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season. Well, that commitment is officially reaching its conclusion. A LIV Golf source dropped a statement to Yahoo Sports, confirming the massive shift. They said, “The funding commitment announced by PIF earlier this year will reach its conclusion. As a result, we are scaling back operations as we transition to the next chapter of LIV Golf and work toward making LIV 2.0 a reality.” It’s a blunt admission: the money that fueled the whole enterprise is gone. They confirmed informing “many of our colleagues that their employment under LIV 1.0 will end in the first week of September.” It’s a tough break for a lot of people who built the league.
What’s Next For LIV 2.0?
So, what does this “LIV 2.0” actually look like without the Saudi billions? That’s the million-dollar question, or perhaps the billion-dollar question that nobody has an answer to right now. The organization is scrambling to secure new funding for future operations, but the source makes it clear that finding that money is “by no means certain.” The proposed plan is for LIV Golf 2.0 to run 10 events for the 2027 season, split evenly with five in the United States and five at international spots. LIV has actually seen some real success in places like South Africa and Australia, drawing huge six-figure galleries. CEO Scott O’Neil has been hinting at this reality for a while, saying, “This group has been under enormous pressure. We don’t often control our destiny, and we are trying to do and be the best kind and type of people and partners that we built our careers on, our reputations on and our character on. We don’t run, we don’t hide. We just do what we can with what we have, and we’re doing the best we can with that.”
The transition to this new LIV 2.0 model isn’t going to be quick either. Officials are saying it could take months to finalize. Even with some “optimism” from LIV officials, and hints they might even reinstate some of these employees down the road, you just know that replacing those Saudi billions is going to be impossible. The league faces “substantial challenges” ahead. What it means for the future of professional golf is still anyone’s guess, but it’s clear this isn’t the same LIV Golf we watched for the last five years.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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